[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxxix

THenne there came syre kay the Seneschal vnto kynge Marke / and there he hadde good chere shewyng oute∣ward / Now fayre lordes said he wille ye preue ony aduenture in the forest of Morris in the whiche I knowe wel is as hard an aduenture as I knowe ony / Syr said sir kay / I wille preue hit / And sir Gaheryse said he wold be auysed For kynge Mark was euer ful of treason / and there with al syr Gaheryse departed and rode his waye / And by the same waye that syre Kay shold ryde / he leyd hym doune to reste chargynge his squyer to wayte vpon sir kay / and warne me whanne he cometh / Soo within a whyle sir kay came rydynge that way / and thenne sir Gaheryse tooke his hors and met hym and sayd sire kay ye are not wyse to ryde at the request of ky∣nge Mark for he deleth alle with treason / Thenne said sire kay I requyre you lete vs preue this aduenture / I shal not fayle

you said sir Gaherys / and soo they rode that tyme tyl a lake / that was that tyme called the peryllous lake / And there they abode vnder the shawe of the wood / ¶The meane whyle kyng Marke within the castel of Tyntagyl auoyded alle his barōs & alle other sauf suche as were pryuy with hym / were auoyded oute of his chamber / And thenne he lete calle his neuewe sir Andred / and badde arme hym and horse hym lyghtely / & by that tyme it was mydnyght / And soo kynge Marke was ar∣med in blak hors and alle / and soo att a pryuy posterne they two yssued oute with their varlets with them / and rode tylle they came to that lake / Thenne sir Kay aspyed them fyrst and gat his spere / and profered to Iuste / And kynge Mark rode ageynst hym / and smote eche other ful hard / for the mone sho¦ne as the bryght day / And there at that Iustes sir Kayes hors fylle doune / for his hors was not so bygge as the kynges hors and sir kayes hors brysed hym ful sore / Thenne sire Gaherys was wrothe that sir kay had a falle / Thenne he cryed knyght sytte thou fast in thy sadel / for I wille reuenge my felawe / Thenne kynge Marke was aferd of syr Gaherys / and so with euyl wylle kynge Marke rode ageynst hym / and sir Gaherys gaf hym suche a stroke that he felle doun / So thenne forth with all syr Gaheryse ranne vnto syr Andred and smote hym from his hors quyte that his helme smote in the erthe / and nyhe had broken his neck / And there with al syr Gaherys alyghte and gate vp sir Kay / And thenne they yode bothe on foote to them / and badde them yelde them / and telle theire names other they shold dye / Thenne with grete payne sire Andred spak fyrst & said hit is kynge Marke of Cornewaile / therfore be ye ware what ye do / and I am sir Andred his cosyn / Fy on you bothe said sir Gaheryse for a fals traitour / and fals treason hast thou wrouʒt / and he both vnder the fayned chere that ye made vs / it were pyte said sir Gaherys that thou sholdest lyue ony lenger / Saue my lyf said kynge Marke and I wil make amendys & consyder that I am a kynge anoynted / it were the more sha∣me said sir Gaherys to saue thy lyf / thou arte a kynge enoyn∣ted with creme / and therfore thou sholdest holde with alle men of worship / And therfor thou arte worthy to dye / with that he lasshed at kyng Mark without sayeng ony more &

couerd hym with his sheld and defended hym as he myghte / and thenne sir kay lasshed at sir Andred / and there with all kynge Marke yelded hym vnto syr Gaherys / And thenne he kneled adoune / and made his othe vpon the crosse of the suerd that neuer whyle he lyued he wold be ageynst arraunt knygh¦tes / And also he sware to be good Frende vnto sir Tristram / yf euer he came in to Cornewaile / By thenne sir Andred was on the erthe / and sir Kay wold haue slayne hym / lete be said sir Gaherys / slee hym not I pray you / It were pyte said syre kay that he shold lyue ony lenger / for this is nygh cosyn vn¦to syr Tristram / and euer he hath ben a traytour vnto hym / & by hym he was exyled oute of Cornewaile / and therfor I will slee hym sayd sir Kay / ye shalle not said sir Gaherys sythen I haue gyuen the kynge his lyf / I pray you yeue hym his lyf / And there with alle sir Kay lete hym goo / And soo sir Kay and syre Gaherys rode their way vnto Dynas the Seneschal for by cause they herd say that he loued wel sir Tristram / Soo they reposed them there / and soone after they rode vnto the ro∣yamme of Logrys / And soo within a lytel whyle they mette with sire Launcelot that alweyes had dame Bragwayn with hym / to that entente / he wende to haue mette the sooner with sir Tristram / and syr launcelot asked what tydynges in Corne¦waile / and whether they herd of sir Tristram or not / Syr Kay and sir Gaherys ansuerd and said that they herd not of hym Thenne they told sir launcelot word by word of theire aduen¦ture / Thenne syr launcelot smyled and said / hard hit is to take oute of the flesshe that is bred in the bone / and soo maade hem mery to gyders